During the hearing on the case of the crash of flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine in 2014, which continues in the Netherlands, it became known about the death of one of the witnesses in the case. The death of a military expert, who had information about the Buk anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) and whom the defense did not have time to question, was reported by the presiding judge Hendrik Steenhays.
As the press secretary of the Dutch prosecutor’s office Brechtier van de Mosdeijk told RIA Novosti, the deceased witness was an expert who was demanded to be interrogated by the defense of the accused Russian citizen Oleg Pulatov. “This witness was a military expert who shared information about the Buk air defense missile system,” confirmed Mr. Pulatov’s Dutch lawyer Sabine ten Dusshata, without giving the expert’s name.
According to the lawyer, the prosecutor’s office of the Netherlands managed to question the witness, after which his testimony was added to the dossier. At the same time, the defense does not know whether the state prosecution will use them as evidence.
“Depending on further statements of the prosecutor’s office on this score, we will be able to challenge the decision, since we did not have the opportunity to question him. It was important for us, ”said Ms. ten Dusschat. According to her, the question will be raised whether it is possible to use the statements of this witness now.
A Malaysian Boeing en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down in the skies over Ukraine on July 17, 2014. All passengers and crew (298 people) were killed. The defendants in the case are ex-defense minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic Igor Girkin and three of his subordinates – Russians Sergey Dubinsky and Oleg Pulatov, as well as Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko.
Read more about the case in the publication of “Kommersant” “The Dutch prosecutor’s office acquitted the Ukrainian military.”
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